Successful Farmer Series

2020 Successful Farmer Series Sessions

January 10 - Energy & Agriculture

Instructors: John Hay (Nebraska Extension), Roger Berry (Nebraska Ethanol Board)

Sponsor: Nebraska Corn Board

View archived video of this session on YouTube

John Hay's presentation (as a PDF) | Roger Berry's presentation (as a PDF)

Session Description: Ag can be a producer and consumer of energy, which has become a big piece of agricultural production and economics. Solar, wind, biofuels, etc. all impact agricultural producers land, crop selection, marketing options, and profit.  Learning more about the opportunities, pitfalls, and future direction of the energy and agricultural industry may help you align your operation to be successful.

January 17 - Insects & Diseases

Instructors: Debora Montezano (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Entomology), Tamra Jackson-Ziems (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Plant Pathologist)

Sponsor: Bayer

View archived video of this session on YouTube

Debora Montezano's presentation (as a PDF) | Tamra Jackson-Ziems' presentation (as a PDF)

Session Description: Insects and diseases are a problem to be dealt with every year. Planning to control these pests starts before the season even begins, including crop rotations, pesticides, genetic resistance, etc. This session will focus on pertinent insects and diseases dealt with in 2019 and the ones to be looking for in 2020.

January 24 - Ag Policy & Data

Instructors: Brad Lubben (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Nick Streff (USDA-NASS)

Sponsor: Climate Fieldview

View archived video of this session on YouTube

Brad Lubben's presentation (as a PDF) | Nick Streff's presentation (as a PDF)

Session Description: Agricultural policy is a difficult topic to follow and keep up with, but is even more challenging with the frequency and amount of data available to producers, traders, and public policymakers at any given time. This session will focus on ag policy updates, farm bill considerations, and the ins-and-outs of the USDA National Ag Statistics Service.

January 31 - Soil Management

Instructors: Aaron Hird (USDA-NRCS), Cory Schmidt (USDA-NRCS), Fernanda Souza Krupek (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Sponsor: Sustainable Ag Research and Education (SARE)

View archived video of this session on YouTube

Aaron Hird's presentation (as a PDF) | Cory Schmidt's presentation (as a PDF) | Fernanda Souza Krupek's presentation (as a PDF)

Session Description: Managing the soil is one of the key factors in farm production, profitability, and sustainability. Creating a healthy and high quality soil requires strategy and commitment. This session will focus on the benefits of having a high quality soil, beyond yield, as well as soil nutrient requirements of regional cropping systems.

February 7 - Resiliency and Diversification

Instructors: Craig Allen (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Katie Kreuser (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Sponsor: Sustainable Ag Research and Education (SARE)

View archived video of this session on YouTube

Craig Allen's presentation (as a PDF) | Katie Kreuser's presentation (as a PDF)

Session Description: If 2019 taught us anything, it is to be ready for everything. Flooding, extreme cold, heavy snow, flash droughts, all impacted our ag system this past year. We can’t stop these events from happening, but you can manage your system to reduce the impact and risk to losses. This session will focus on ways to create a more resilient system and opportunities to diversify crop or livestock production and risk. Thinking outside of the box is often easier said than done, but it is one of the common themes among long-lived, successful operations.

February 14 - Weather and Markets

Instructors: Al Dutcher (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Doug Simon (Tredas)

Sponsor: Lancaster County Farm Bureau

View archived video of this session on YouTube

Al Dutcher's presentation (as a PDF) | Doug Simon's presentation (as a PDF)

Session Description: Everyone loves to talk weather and markets. This session will feature a look at the upcoming forecast, as well as information on the latest ag markets and potential market strategies.